A Little Bit of Faith
by MissMaegan
Summary: Faith was the strikingly pretty, extremely flirty baker's daughter in Locksley. But now she's on Robin's side, and she's causing chaos as romances develop with Robin, Allan, and Guy. Can she help the gang fight the Sheriff and find her true love?
1. Chapter 1

Just an idea I had. Please review at the end!

Faith finished kneading the cinnamon dough, her expert fingers shaping it into round buns. Her mouth watered, imagining how delicious they would taste once they came out of the stone oven. Of course, she wouldn't be able to eat any, since over three dozen had to be delivered to Locksley Manor tonight.

She pushed the pan of rolled up dough into the oven, and the heat sent hair rolling down her hairline. She closed the oven door, wiped the sweat off her face, and added a few more wooden blocks to the oven's fire to keep it hot long enough for the dough to rise.

"Faith!" a familiar voice called, and she smiled. She opened the door and walked outside, and sure enough, Robin and Allan were lounging carelessly against her front gate

"Hey there, sweetness." Robin said, greeting her with a sly rolled her green eyes and walked quickly down the path, before opening the wooden gate to let the men in.

"Hi!" she said happily, pushing a few strands of her dark auburn hair out of her face. "I was worried you wouldn't come this week."

"And miss seeing your pretty face? Never!" Allan said over dramatically, tossing her a boyish smirk. Faith was a constant flirt, and the men of the village, and the men in Robin's gang knew it. Especially Robin and Allan. Faith liked them because they were as quick witted and clever as she was.

"Stop it, before you make me blush." Faith pouted.

"We all know it takes a lot more than that to make _you_ blush." Allan laughed. Faith tossed him a pointed look, but then giggled. "Yeah, you're right." she agreed.

"Plus, it's adorable when you blush." Robin argued playfully. Faith just rolled her eyes again and pushed the two men inter her humble little house.

"Get _in_ before someone sees you! Honestly, what if a neighbor reports me for having you at my house, or if Gisborne just happens to look out his window and see you here? I'll be arrested!"

"Then we'll have to break you out of jail then, won't we?" Allan said as he followed Robin into Faith's home. He sniffed deeply. "Ooh, something smells yummy." He said, going to open the oven.

"_Don't_!" Faith snapped, slapping his wrist before it reached the door. "They just went in, and I need all of them at Locksley tonight."

"Why? Is Gisborne having another one of his little parties?" Robin asked, making himself at home in a wooden chair.

"I guess so." Faith answered. "He's got almost everyone in the village working on something. It's going to be huge though, I can tell you that. He's ordered over twelve dozen pastries from me alone, and I heard that Dave, the butcher, is preparing six pigs.

"Interesting." Robin said, mainly to himself. "Do you think there's any way _I _can get into that?"

"I doubt it. He must be expecting you, because the security here has tripled. There's a lot more guards than there normally is, and everyone who enters Locksley Manor has to first cleared by Gisborne and then patted down. And last night they were boarding up almost all the windows so you can't sneak in that way."

"Damn." Robin cursed.

"Hey, what are you gonna do?" Allan shrugged, uncaring. "You can't get in 'em all." He winked at Robin. "That goes for parties _and_ women, my friend."

The men both laughed loudly. "It's true." Robin grinned.

"_Excuse me_!" Faith snapped, but her eyes were glinting. "Do I need to remind you that you are in a lady's presence? You _filthy_ outlaws shouldn't make such crude jokes."

"How could we forget?" Robin asked sarcastically. "We shouldn't talk so around such a _delicate, naïve, _and _innocent_ little girl, Allan."

"Yeah, right." Allan snorted in sarcasm. Faith narrowed her eyes at him dangerously.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist." Allan said defensively. "You know I'm just bein' funny." He looked around the house cautiously. "But just to make sure, your father isn't home, is he?"

The last time Robin and Allan had visited, Faith's father had been home, and very, very drunk. He'd caught Allan passing Faith a wink, and had shattered a wine bottle over Allan's head.

"No, he's at the tavern, as always." Faith sighed. "And Mother and Eloise are in Kingsley for the day, visiting an aunt."

"Good." Allan said thankfully.

Eloise was Faith's little sister, an eight year old girl with a mass of springy gold curls and blue eyes.

"You know," Robin said, standing up and dipping a finger in a bowl of batter that Faith had mixed for a later batch of sweet rolls. "You're cooking sucks for a baker's daughter."

"Shut up, that has no sugar in it yet!" Faith protested, smiling as his face wrinkled up in disgust. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with you outlaws."

"Because you want this." Robin stated, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little burlap sack. He tossed it to Faith, who caught it in the air, and it jingled with the promise of coins.

"Thank you." she said peering inside. Her face lit up when she saw the amount inside. "Oh Robin, thank you!" she squealed again. "I swear I could kiss you!" Then, smiling happily, she leaned over and sweetly pecked his cheek.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Allan protested. "Do I need to remind you _who_ actually stole those coins from Gisborne's goons for you?" Faith laughed and kissed Allan's cheek as well. "That's right, share the love." he smiled.

Faith sat back down in her own chair, absentmindedly toying with the sack in her hand. A few seconds passed, and her brilliant smile fell from her face.

"What's wrong?" Allan asked, sensing the change in her mood.

"It's just…" Faith trailed, "I hate being a charity. I hate begging for money and just being given it."

"Sweetness, all of England is a charity right now." Robin said plainly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know." Faith admitted. "But the second that I don't need this money anymore, when I can make it on my own, I won't take it. It's just…they've raised the taxes again…and with Father not working anymore and Eloise so sick…I can't lose the bakery, I just can't."

"It's _alright_." Robin said, smiling supportively. "We completely understa—"

Robin was cut off by a loud knocking on the wooden door.

"Oh my God, it's Gisborne's men!" Faith gasped quietly. Her eyes widened and her knees began to shake. "They know you're here!"

_Bam! Bam! Bam! _**"**Open it, Faith!" A man's voice called from the other side.

"Go ahead, open it." Robin instructed Faith, who was scared out of her mind. He and Allen shrunk back away from the door and out of sight. Allan unsheathed his sword, and Robin loaded an arrow and pointed it at the door.

"If things go bad, we'll fight, and you run away, into the woods, okay?" He whispered. "We'll come and get you afterwards."

Faith nodded, and took two quick breaths to calm herself down.

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_ "I know you're in there!"

"Go!" Allan hissed.

Faith cleared her face of all emotion. "I'm coming!" she snapped at the door. Then she opened it.

"Sorry I took so long, I was up to my elbows in flour and –" She started, but to her great surprise – and relief – the man at the door was not one of Gisborne's black and yellow knights, but instead was a local village man.

"Harvey?" Faith asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"I – I did it." Harvey sputtered. "I left her."

"Left _who_?"

"My wife." Harvey stated proudly. "And my baby. I did it for you Faith! So we can be together!. I love you, and I know you love me too! Don't try to deny –"

"Harvey!" Faith snapped. Her mind was a whirl. "Why would you leave your wife?"

"I know you love me." Harvey whispered. "I see it in your eyes when you wink at me, and when you smile at me. I hear it in your voice when you say hello, and I feel the same way! My wife never made me feel like that!"

Faith let out a sad sigh. In reality, she hadn't treated Harvey any different than she did any other man, but her natural flirty nature tended to make some men think they were receiving special treatment.

"I don't love you, Harvey." she said plainly. "I'm sorry, but I don't. I don't love anyone in this village, at least not in that way."

"But…what?" Harvey asked in blank confusion. His eyes were frantic. "Just let me come inside so we can talk about this! I mean, you _have_ to feel the same way!" He dropped to his knees and hugged her legs in some kind of weird declaration of love.

"I don't Harvey. I'm sorry." Faith repeated, looking down at him in shock. Though her words were firm, her voice was kind.

"But, what am I supposed to do now?" he asked,

"Go back to your wife and child." She said firmly. "They need you, and your wife _truly_ loves you." Faith shook her legs, and managed to loosen his grip.

"But, but…" He stammered.

"Go home, Harvey." She instructed him, stepping backwards out of his grasp and closing the heavy wooden door with a slam. She sighed.

"Poor bloke." Allan said, coming out of the shadows. "Hope his lady takes him back."

"So do I." Faith said sadly.

"Do you ever get tired of that?" Robin laughed, taking the arrow out of his bow.

"Tired of what?"

"Tired of men _literally_ throwing themselves at your feet." Robin said incredously.

Faith tossed him a devilish smile. "What girl could get tired of that?" She said innocently.

"Aw, there's the Faith we know and love!" Allan said happily, ruffling her hair. She smiled and ducked out of his reach.

"It's a wonder you aren't married yet." Robin said.

"Yeah, why aren't you?" Allan asked intrusively. "You're what, sixteen now?"

_"Nineteen_." Faith corrected him soberly.

'And still a maid…" Allan said. "Why? You're sure as hell attractive enough to find a man,"

"Maybe because Father scares off all the men?" Faith asked, trying to instill a little humor into the conversation. Although she wouldn't admit it, she found her status as a "maid" very personal, and a little irritating. It hurt to see all of her childhood friends married and swollen with children while she was still husbandless.

"And that's the only reason?" Robin asked in disbelief. "Plenty of girls have drunkards as fathers, and they get married."

Faith knew that although their questions were raw, the men couldn't understand how it made a woman feel to be alone and unmarried when everyone else was. They didn't know the emotional damage their questions caused.

"I guess I'm also a little…outspoken." Faith said slowly.

"No kidding." Allan snorted.

"Men just don't like their women to have opinions." Faith said dismissively. "Or to go against them or speak their mind. And I guess I'm not one to be controlled, so I don't want a husband like that." She thought for a second. "_And_ I don't want a man ridiculously older than me as a husband, or a simpleton like Harvey." She thought some more. "_And_ I don't really want to be just a butcher's wife or a tanner's wife, you know?"

"Then whose wife do you want to be?" Robin asked.

"Preferably someone who _doesn't_ skin carcasses as their daily job." Faith shot back. She waved the matter away with a dainty hand. "But boys, my current status isn't that important. Shouldn't you two be off, saving someone destined to hang, or stealing some gold cache?"

"As a matter of fact, there _is_ a batch of peasants about to hang in Nottingham tonight." Robin remembered, snapping his fingers. "We almost forgot. Thanks for reminding us!"

"Yeah, anytime." Faith answered. "Thanks for the money."

Allan and Robin gathered up their weapons and tucked them away. Allan, with his pick pocketing skills, managed to snag a muffin that had been cooling off the cooling rack without Faith realizing.

Faith opened the door for the two men, and they both walked out. "Bye!" she called.

Both men returned the farewell, but Robin ran back to her. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him. "Are you really thankful for the money?" He breathed in her ear.

Faith was confused as to why he was pulling her so close to his body. "You know I am." She whispered back quietly.

He looked down at her. "Then I know how you can repay me." He said huskily. He shot her one of his trademark dazzling smiles.

"How?" she asked, almost afraid to hear his answer. Things had gotten…intimate, pretty fast here.

He stepped backwards quickly, releasing her. "Crash Gisborne's party for me." He said simply, as if they hadn't just been so close. "Find out some information."

"What?" Faith asked incredously. "I can't. I'll be caught!"

"You have to deliver the bread and pastries to Locksley Manor tonight, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"So just stick around a bit when you deliver them. Poke around and overhear things. If you get caught, play the lost damsel card. Your pretty face might melt Gisborne's icy heart enough to let you live." Robin said, smiling.

"I'll think about it." Faith answered, not willing to make a decision right now with Robin pressuring her.

"See you later!" Robin said.

"Bye." Faith answered. Robin ran to catch up with Allan, and the two waved at her, before trotting back into the woods and disappearing.

Faith went back into her house, thinking it over. She'd have an excuse to be at Locksley Manor, that was true. And she _could_ play the dumb girl card if she got caught snooping…And she _really_ hated being given money and doing nothing in return…

Deep inside her, Faith really wanted to do it. And she knew why. The reason she didn't want to marry a butcher or a tanner was because it would be _boring._ It would be _plain_. She needed adventure, and she needed to do something with her life.

She made up her mind. Faith walked into the bedroom that she shared with Eloise, and opened up her wardrobe. Then she rifled through her clothing.

_What dress should I wear to crash an evil party? _She thought, holding them up to her slim body.

****What do you think?****

****Keep or trash?****

****Please review!****


	2. Chapter 2

I'm trying to give the story a plot AS WELL AS romance, which is hard for me since I love romance so much! Please review!

Faith had decided to get dressed up for the occasion. If she got caught, which she really hoped wouldn't happen, she didn't want to look like a dirty, ratty village women. After all, dirty, ratty village women would be punished for snooping by spending time in the stocks, or even prison. But hopefully a pretty, airheaded maid would be more easily forgiven when caught.

She was wearing her best dress. It was dark green and matched her eyes and set off the golden tones in her auburn hair, It fit snug and a little low cut in the torso, and was fastened with leather lacing down her back.

Faith's arms were aching as well. Trays and trays of sweet buns and rolls were weighing her down as she left her bakery. It was a good thing that she basically lived in the shadow of Locksley Manor, or she'd never be able to lug so many baked goods to Gisborne's party.

She'd arrived late on purpose. She'd wanted to make sure that everyone would be there when she arrived, as well as have drunk a good amount of ale already, to get their tongues moving.

Faith quickly walked up to the stone entrance. There were two guards at the door, garbed in the black and yellow, the Gisborne crest emblazoned on their chest. They suspiciously glanced at each other as she approached, and then unsheathed their swords.

"Hey, boys!" she called out sweetly.

"Who goes there?" one called out, leveling his sword as if to prepare for a fight.

"My name's Faith!" Faith called, stepping into the glow of the torch light, and peering around the stacked trays she held in her arms.

"What do you want?" The other one asked. "There's no villagers invited to this party."

"I'm just delivering these pastries." Faith said innocently. She held up the trays for effect.

"Food was supposed to be delivered two hours ago." The guard on the right snapped.

"What can I say?" Faith shrugged. "Yeast just doesn't rise as quickly as it used to." She batted her thick black eyelashes.

The guard on the left narrowed his already-squinty eyes. "Lord Gisborne and his guests have already dined. Your food is too late."

Faith let out a long sigh. "They're _pastries_, sir. They're _desserts. _To be eaten _after _you dine." She raised an eyebrow impatiently. "Can we reach a decision here? My arms are aching."

The guard took a menacing step forward at her outspoken words and attitude, but the other laid a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "We will take the desserts in ourselves." he said, attempting to reach some sort of compromise.

Faith made a face. "Be my guest." she said. "But I'll have you know that _this cake," _she gestured to the large cake on the top try with her chin, "is made from the lightest possible batter, and filled with a soft white butter cream frosting. Lord Gisborne himself designed every detail, from the flavor and consistency to the decorations on the top, and it cost him a pretty penny, I'll tell you that. So feel free to take it inside yourselves, but be warned. If you so much as sidestep the wrong way, the cake will collapse in on itself, and Gisborne will be furious that you ruined his ridiculously gorgeous and expensive cake."

It was a complete lie, but Faith said it with such a sweet voice and the eyes of an angel, that the men wavered. In reality, the cake was plain vanilla with sugar frosting and very boring decorations, but it was amazing what a little over exaggeration could do.

"Well, I guess that would be alright."The left guard whispered to the right guard. "I mean, we don't want Gisborne mad at _us_, do we?"

"Of course not." the other replied. He waved Faith in. "Go ahead, and be quick about it."

"Thank you." Faith trilled, and stepped through the door that was being held open for her.

The inside of Locksley Manor was flooded with people. Men and women stood leaning against walls and sitting down in chairs, talking and laughing. Music was pouring out of the horns of hired musicians.

The people there however were not all dressed like normal English people. Instead, some of the women were wearing gauzy material that covered their breasts and wrapped down around their legs, leaving their stomachs bare. Others were wearing shapeless black dresses that also covered most of their faces. The men too were strangely dressed, ranging from men dressed from head to toe in animal furs, to a man whose entire body was shaved and naked, minus a cheetah skin wrapped his waist as a loincloth. No one was treating anyone else like they were out of place, Faith noticed.

_What's going on here, Gisborne?_ She though curiously.

She wandered to the farthest area of the dining room, to where a massive wooden table was located, piled high with platters of meat, fish, vegetables, and pitchers of ale.

Then, Faith noticed that everybody was extremely drunk already. Apparently Gisborne's guests appreciated liquor.

Looking around curiously, she laid the trays on the table, spreading them out so that the fresh pastries were visible. Then, seeing a few women dressed in dresses that resembled hers, Faith felt a little more at ease, and more confident that she could pull this off.

She grabbed a cupcake and a glass of ale from the table to blend in with the other guests, and inched slowly towards a large group of people.

One of the women with the bare stomachs grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into the conversation. "You don't look like you could hurt anybody." She smiled.

"No, she don't." The man in furs agreed. His accent was rough whereas the woman's was smooth and tinkled like bells. "But they's the one's you gotta look out for."

"What's your trade, darling?" Another man asked. He was dressed in what looked like black snakeskin, with long, pale blonde hair.

Faith tried to come up with an appropriate answer that wouldn't reveal who she was, or rather, who she _wasn't._ He smiled and grabbed her waist, backing her up into the wooden wall, and tried to plant a kiss on her mouth. She turned her head and tried to squirm out of his grip.

The others watching just laughed and giggled drunkenly, not attempting to help or say anything. Finally the man in furs yelled out "Show us what you got, baby."

Faith made of face in disgust at his vulgarity, and once again tried to squirm out of the blonde man's grasp, who was now trailing kisses down her neck, laughing.

"Get. Off." Faith hissed, going completely still. The blonde man laughed again but stepped away, releasing her. "I get it." he smiled. "You don't want to show us your trade. You think it will make it not a surprise." He spoke in broken English.

Faith nodded."Exactly." She said, hoping it came out strong. But she had no clue what she had agreed on. Hell, she had no idea what she was even _doing _here.

_ You know what? Screw Robin. And Allan. Screw the whole lot of them_. Faith fumed. _I didn't even want to come here._

She dropped the glass of ale unceremoniously into a garbage pail. "I'm out of here." she whispered to herself, heading towards the door.

"Leaving so soon?" A deep, honeyed voice asked from behind her. She turned, to come face to face with the Lord of Locksley himself. He was dressed in his usual leather, sword at his side. His black hair was as messy as ever, and his blue eyes were gleaming.

"I can assure you," Gisborne said, smiling. "That you will find your payment quite…appealing."

"I-I, uh…" Faith trailed, hiding her face in the shadows and behind her auburn hair. She didn't want Gisborne to memorize her face and recognize her later in the village.

"Come back and show me your trade." Gisborne ordered, taking her wrist firmly. He pulled her back into the main room.

"Let someone else go first." Faith said imperiously.

"Excuse me?" Gisborne asked, his brow furrowing. Apparently he wasn't used to taking orders.

"Let someone else go first." Faith repeated. "Save the best for last." She gave him a flirty wink.

Gisborne smiled a half-smile and nodded. "I look forward to seeing you perform." He said huskily and led one of the bare stomached women into a private room.

Faith was so lost, it wasn't even funny. She gazed around, and saw one of the women with their face veils slumped over in a drunken stupor. Quietly, Faith stepped to her side and slid the veil off the woman's head and slipped it over her own.

Quickly, she made sure each piece of hair was hidden, and that only her eyes were visible.

As she adjusted the headpiece, her fingers slipped into a slit in the fabric. She felt a quick jolt of pain, and snatched her fingers away, only to see blood welling up from a slice in her finger. Hesitantly, she repeated her earlier motions, until her fingers found the hidden slit, and felt around cautiously.

She removed her hand, a tiny blade clenched in her bloody fingers. Her mouth dropped open behind the veil.

_What kind of people are these weirdoes? _She thought, wondering how she'd explain all this craziness to Robin.

"Ooh, did you cut yourself?" A woman in relatively normal attire asked her, glancing at Faith's dripping fingers. "Such a shame." she said.

"Yeah, well who doesn't do it every now and then?" Faith said, hoping it was the right thing to say.

"Professionals." The woman snapped icily. "But I totally understand if an amateur cuts herself."

Faith didn't even know what she was being insulted for being an amateur at, but she was still offended. "I guess." she said shortly, to avoid confrontation.

Out of the corner of her eye, Faith saw Gisborne let the lady he was 'evaluating' out of the private room, and he scanned the crowd.

"Here," the woman said, grabbing Faith's arm. "I've got a handkerchief." She wiped the blood from Faith's hand with a white cloth.

"Thanks." Faith said, wishing the woman would go away.

"It's fi—" the woman began, but her eyes widened as she looked at Faith's wrist. She turned it over and over again in her hand.

"Where's you tattoo?" She hissed.

"My what?"

"Your tattoo!" She shrieked, drawing attention. "She doesn't have a tattoo!"

Voices rose as the other people looked over and started asking questions. Faith looked around desperately, and caught a glimpse of a tattoo in the shape of a pitchfork on the woman's inner wrist.

"What's going on here?" Gisborne asked, sauntering into the room, a hand on his sword hilt.

"She's not one of us!" The woman shrieked. "She doesn't have the tattoo!"

"An intruder?" Gisborne asked dangerously, unsheathing his sword. "Well we can't have that now, can we?"

Faith was confused and had no clue what to do, so she improvised. She ran.

She ducked past the people around her, flung open the door, and dashed past the two clueless guards at the entrance. She took off for the woods, her veil still covering her face. She slowed down once she reached to woods. She could hear Gisborne calling out in anger behind her, but she knew the veil and her dark green dress had helped her blend into the darkness of the night. The others in the Manor must have been too drunk to chase after her as well.

Faith walked deeper into the woods, not really knowing where she was going. Grumbling angrily, she pulled off the veil and tossed it to the dirt floor.

"Stupid Robin." She hissed quietly, rubbing a thumb lightly over the gash on her hand. "Stupid plan."

"Hey now, sweetie, no need for name calling." A voice called, and Faith turned to see the familiar outline of none other than Robin.

"You idiot!" She yelled.

PLEASE REVIEW!

****I'm not sure if I like it or not…what do ya'll think? If you don't like it, just holler, and I'll delete and we'll pretend like this pathetic little story never happened lol ****


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